The National Association of Manufacturers last week urged Senate leaders to quickly approve four nominees to the board of the U.S. Export-Import Bank. This would enable the bank to make larger loans, fulfilling its purpose of supporting American manufacturers and exporters.

Walmart will raise its minimum wage, give bonuses to longtime employees and offer maternity leave. Waste Management is giving $2,000 in special bonuses to 34,000 employees. U.S. Bank is giving bonuses, increasing its minimum wage to $15 and improving health insurance benefits. Those are some of the latest employers to pass along some of the savings from federal tax reform.

Edmund O. Schweitzer III, president of Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories, wrote an op-ed in The Spokesman-Review calling for agreement in Congress on a deal to reform the nation's immigration system and to ensure that the young immigrants covered under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program can stay in America.

The Puget Sound region's economy is booming. But across the state, the post-recession economic recovery has been uneven. Much of rural Washington is still struggling, with higher rates of unemployment and comparatively modest economic gains.

Gov. Inslee is urging legislators to pass a $20 per ton carbon tax during the current legislative session. We urge you to call your local legislators and tell them to vote "no" on carbon tax legislation.

If passed, money raised from a carbon tax reportedly would fund schools; provide incentives for renewable energy, such as solar energy; be applied to research for new clean technologies; manage storm water runoff; help prevent forest fires; and more.

While all of these issues are worthwhile, the effects of a carbon tax on citizens and businesses far outweighs the benefits, which is why we don't support the tax.

The governor's staff indicated a carbon tax likely will increase power rates 4 percent to 5 percent for electricity, 9 percent to 11 percent for natural gas and 6 percent to 9 percent for gasoline.

If a carbon tax law is passed, utilities such as the Cowlitz PUD, will be negatively impacted and we believe the power rate increases would be pushed much higher than the governor's staff estimates. Citizens and businesses can't afford those types of increases...